Cardiologists are warning people in their 20s against taking herbal supplements, which are causing younger people to have more heart problems than was previously known.
Danielle Belardo, a cardiologist based in California, says the most common cause of arrhythmias – or irregular heartbeats – in her 20-year-old patient is primarily rooted in supplementation. Herbal, Insiders report.
Belardo notes that her patients who are dealing with such heart problems are taking herbs like ephedra and bitter orange, both of which have been linked to irregular heartbeats in clinical research. and various case studies.
She adds that it is often difficult to figure out which is the cause of the supplements, as her patients often take multiple supplements at once, with a trend that has only accelerated in recent years.
“This is drawing the pinnacle of what we know regarding herbal supplements and arrhythmias,” Belardo told the outlet. “Because of the poor regulation of the formulation, purity, and effectiveness of these herbs, we don’t have any strong literature to tell us exactly what is causing it.”
Herbal supplements are used by 80% of the world population, proving to be a trillion dollar industry
The World Health Organization estimates that 80 percent of the world’s population, or about 4 billion people, currently use herbal medicines or dietary supplements to take care of their health.
According to Herbal Gram, sales of herbal supplements, including online, total $2.950 billion for 2020, according to Herbal Gram.
To make matters worse, the U.S. does not tightly regulate the $1.5 trillion healthcare industry, allowing additional companies to comply with safety regulations and oversight. fullness and strength.
And now, more Americans are taking supplements and herbs than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cardiologists say most patients with heart problems are “Towards Herbs (Therapies) and Supplements”
In Southern California, where Dr. Belardo practices, she says many of the patients she sees with heart problems are “attracted to alternative therapies and herbs and supplements.” .
Belardo said she and many other cardiologists are starting to ask patients about over-the-counter medications they take, after receiving similar feedback from other cardiologists, ER doctors and internists. faculty across the country after sharing her concerns.
The #1 reason I see patients under 30 with arrhythmias is because they start taking the herbs/supplements they heard from “insert podcast here”
Guess what happens when we stop replenishing? It disappears!
Maybe it’s a SoCal thing, but sadly I think the problem is growing…
– Danielle Belardo, MD (@DBelardoMD) August 25, 2022
Martha Gulati, another California-based cardiologist and elected president of the American Society of Preventive Cardiology, echoed Belardo’s views on herbal supplements.
Cardiologists call herbal supplements “Pseudoscience” and warn that “natural” isn’t necessarily safer.
Gulati expressed his concern to Insider about the fact that many people mistakenly believe that using “natural” remedies equates to safer drugs than those made in a lab, calling it’s “pseudoscience”.
“I think that reflects how alternative medicine is evolving, and essentially pseudoscience in this space,” says Belardo.
Dr. Belardo specifically mentions podcasts sponsored by supplement companies as one of the main actors behind the recent phenomenon among young people,
Supplements linked to arrhythmias including the aforementioned bitter orange, also known as citris aurantium, and ephedra, were banned in the US in 2004 but still appear in supplements to this day. now.
According to some studies, taking fish oil in doses of one gram or more per day may increase the risk of a type of irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation.
